Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport: a Delphi study

Christopher  Yorke; Michelle O'Shea; Daniel Roman; Mike Rayner

doi:10.1080/23750472.2025.2506615

Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport: a Delphi study

Christopher Yorke^*, Michelle O'Shea, Daniel Roman, Mike Rayner

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Drawing on the Delphi method, and notwithstanding the moral and legal imperatives tied to safe sport, this research note explores the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport. Drawing on rugby union as a case study context, the study salience is set against growing concerns associated with collision sport and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative pathology associated with traumatic brain injury linked to neurodegenerative disease among athletes, including former rugby union players (Russell, E. R., Mackay, D. F., Lyall, D., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Robson, J., Pell, J. P., & Stewart, W. (2022). Neurodegenerative disease risk among former international rugby union players. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93(12), 1262–1268)

Original language	English
Journal	Managing Sport and Leisure
Early online date	23 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2025.2506615
Publication status	Early online - 23 May 2025

Keywords

Concussion
medical package
business case
athlete safety

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10.1080/23750472.2025.2506615

Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sportFinal published version, 555 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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title = "Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport: a Delphi study",

abstract = "Drawing on the Delphi method, and notwithstanding the moral and legal imperatives tied to safe sport, this research note explores the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport. Drawing on rugby union as a case study context, the study salience is set against growing concerns associated with collision sport and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative pathology associated with traumatic brain injury linked to neurodegenerative disease among athletes, including former rugby union players (Russell, E. R., Mackay, D. F., Lyall, D., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Robson, J., Pell, J. P., \& Stewart, W. (2022). Neurodegenerative disease risk among former international rugby union players. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery \& Psychiatry, 93(12), 1262–1268)",

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T1 - Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport: a Delphi study

AU - Yorke, Christopher

AU - O'Shea, Michelle

AU - Roman, Daniel

AU - Rayner, Mike

PY - 2025/5/23

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N2 - Drawing on the Delphi method, and notwithstanding the moral and legal imperatives tied to safe sport, this research note explores the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport. Drawing on rugby union as a case study context, the study salience is set against growing concerns associated with collision sport and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative pathology associated with traumatic brain injury linked to neurodegenerative disease among athletes, including former rugby union players (Russell, E. R., Mackay, D. F., Lyall, D., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Robson, J., Pell, J. P., & Stewart, W. (2022). Neurodegenerative disease risk among former international rugby union players. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93(12), 1262–1268)

AB - Drawing on the Delphi method, and notwithstanding the moral and legal imperatives tied to safe sport, this research note explores the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport. Drawing on rugby union as a case study context, the study salience is set against growing concerns associated with collision sport and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative pathology associated with traumatic brain injury linked to neurodegenerative disease among athletes, including former rugby union players (Russell, E. R., Mackay, D. F., Lyall, D., Stewart, K., MacLean, J. A., Robson, J., Pell, J. P., & Stewart, W. (2022). Neurodegenerative disease risk among former international rugby union players. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 93(12), 1262–1268)

KW - Concussion

KW - medical package

KW - business case

KW - athlete safety

U2 - 10.1080/23750472.2025.2506615

DO - 10.1080/23750472.2025.2506615

M3 - Article

SN - 2375-0472

JO - Managing Sport and Leisure

JF - Managing Sport and Leisure

ER -

Exploring the business case for prioritising athlete safety in community sport: a Delphi study

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Keywords

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